Feinstein: Someone from the White House is leaking national-security secrets that coincidentally make Obama look good

posted at 10:01 am on July 24, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Weeks after Congress opened a probe into national security leaks that mysteriously arose making Barack Obama look good, we seem to have gotten a little close to the source. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said publicly yesterday that at least some of these reputation-burnishing leaks came from the White House that benefited from them:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Monday that someone at the White House was responsible for the recent leaks of classified information.

“I think the White House has to understand that some of this is coming from their ranks,” Feinstein said in an address at the World Affairs Council, the Associated Press first reported.

Feinstein rushed to defend President Barack Obama, however:

Feinstein said she was certain that President Obama had not disclosed any of the classified intelligence, but believed others in the administration were responsible.

“I don’t believe for a moment that he goes out and talks about it,” she said of the president.

Of course not. That’s why a President hires staff and appoints political players — to do that kind of work for him.

Last Thursday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified in closed session before the House Armed Services Committee on the leaks. The committee’s chairman, Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., told reporters afterward that he did not believe the Pentagon was responsible for recent national security leaks.

“I feel pretty secure they were not” from the Pentagon, McKeon said after the three-hour hearing.

Leaks usually occur for two reasons: to make someone look good, and to make someone look bad. Whistleblowing falls into the latter category, but it’s not the only impulse found with those kinds of leaks, either. With leaks of the first type, the best question to ask is: Cui bono? Who benefits? While that’s not an evidentiary process, it’s usually a pretty reliable way for investigators and non-investigators to narrow the evidentiary search rationally and effectively. Apparently, Feinstein agrees.

Mitt Romney will be addressing the VFW Convention in Nevada this afternoon and, based on a prepared excerpt of his speech distributed by his campaign, he plans to demand President Obama conduct a “full and prompt investigation” of leaks of classified information that may have come from the White House.

“This conduct is contemptible. It betrays our national interest. It compromises our men and women in the field. And it demands a full and prompt investigation, with explanation and consequence,” Mr. Romney’s speech says. “Whoever provided classified information to the media, seeking political advantage for the administration, must be exposed, dismissed, and punished. The time for stonewalling is over.” …

“It is not enough to say the matter is being looked into, and leave it at that. When the issue is the political use of highly sensitive national security information, it is unacceptable to say, ‘We’ll report our findings after Election Day,’” Mr. Romney says in the speech. “Exactly who in the White House betrayed these secrets? Did a superior authorize it? These are things that Americans are entitled to know – and they are entitled to know right now. If the President believes – as he said last week – that the buck stops with him, then he owes all Americans a full and prompt accounting of the facts.”

Don’t expect to see the White House immediately agreeing to an independent investigation, to say the least.

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I am not a big fan of Mitt, but one thing I am certain of, he would never, ever, leak or condone leaking of anything that would compromise our intelligence.
This is a man, businessman, who lived in a world that kept things like this “secret” until the appropriate time. If he had ever leaked any of his past associations, possible takeover, potential buyouts, he would have been thrown in jail…but then, that wouldn’t matter because he is the type of man who just wouldn’t do that, it would be beyond his capacity to think of such a thing.
He would do things (and has done things) to protect his cronies, but never to compromise his position.
Obama on the other hand, knows no other way but to compromise whatever “morals” he has, if any.

If you weren’t into this stuff, wouldn’t you tune it out? It’s nothing shocking:Democrats leak secrets and then lie about it. Nothing that hasn’t been done before. It IS boring. Appalling, but since it’s old hat, it’s boring.

Gone are the days when the guy in charge is responsible for anything that the folks in the shop happen to do. Even Obama’s flacks are out there parroting, ‘It wa’nt me!’ and ‘It wa’nt Obama!’ like a group of thumb sucking and nose picking 6-yr olds on the playground.

Dianne Feinstein is a criminal, straight up period. She should at the very minimum be sharing a cell with former California Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

In her career as California Senator she has illegally funneled HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars into her husband’s construction company. But as you all know, Democrat do not get charged with criminal charges when they are congress people.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Well, here’s what I know, we were just talking about responsibility and as president of the United States, it’s pretty clear to me that I’m responsible for folks who are working in the federal government and you know, Harry Truman said the buck stops with you. Source

How does Obama administration keep getting away with all this stuff? F&F,All the Executive orders, suing states, refusing to enforce laws, etc
why has no one been impeached?
Raquel Pinkbullet on July 24, 2012 at 10:11 AM

Because he’s white and black. It’s taking a little longer. But voting him out on Nov 6 will equate to his “impeachent”.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani doctor who told us where Bin Laden was hiding rots in jail for 33 years, while the Big O tells us what a gutsy call he made. So how many other foreign informants will have the guts to help us find other terrorists, if this is how they are treated?

Mrs. Feinstien better watch her back. Doesn’t she know that if you’re a democrat you NEVER speak the truth about this administration?
Look for her to join Cory Boooker and others under that big ole bus.

Dianne Feinstein is a criminal, straight up period. She should at the very minimum be sharing a cell with former California Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

In her career as California Senator she has illegally funneled HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars into her husband’s construction company. But as you all know, Democrat do not get charged with criminal charges when they are congress people.

SWalker on July 24, 2012 at 10:15 AM

And, who knows to what extent they’ve got their hands in the latest California Boondoggle, that “train” that’s going to be built with more borrowed money to take illegal aliens from the south of the state on up to San Francisco Wonderland.

Mrs. Feinstien better watch her back. Doesn’t she know that if you’re a democrat you NEVER speak the truth about this administration?

Ms. Feinstein has already been in the administration’s crosshairs. Do an internet search for the late Kam Kuwata, who was her campaign manager and a supposed unwelcome witness to some strange behavior by Teh One during the Dem convention in Denver 4 years ago.

This is Ed Morrissey, voice of a (supposedly) conservative blog, claiming that Obama looks good in regards to national security and foreign policy.

Dante on July 24, 2012 at 10:27 AM

Just another example that the parties are one in the same: the War Party, the Establishment Party, the Big Government Party … whichever name you choose. Here is Ed, not defending conservatism, not defending the Constitution, but defending the establishment that is acting imperially and unconstitutionally.

I certainly would like to find the scumbag who is leaking this info. I just hope that this level of accountability that Romney is calling for will exist once he occupies the Oval Office.

Bitter Clinger on July 24, 2012 at 10:11 AM

Anita Dunn, Axelrod, Emanuel…looking at the people who claim to have left the Administration while they haven’t, not in reality (Dunn still has an office in the White House). Then there’s the National Security Adviser and, and…you know, how difficult IS it to identify and hold responsible a spy in the Executive Branch? And why isn’t Obama being held responsible? Because he is.

Mrs. Feinstien better watch her back. Doesn’t she know that if you’re a democrat you NEVER speak the truth about this administration?

Ms. Feinstein has already been in the administration’s crosshairs. Do an internet search for the late Kam Kuwata, who was her campaign manager and a supposed unwelcome witness to some strange behavior by Teh One during the Dem convention in Denver 4 years ago.

Right Mover on July 24, 2012 at 10:30 AM

She and her husband are very major if not chieftans of the Democratic Party pursestrings. They “manage” the majority of the dough that the DNC uses and needs to do it’s dirty deeds.

So whatever blowback Feinstein experienced I assume was “corrective tapping” from Obama and Soros. Yanking the leash, so to speak, to get their full attention.

Just another example that the parties are one in the same: the War Party, the Establishment Party, the Big Government Party … whichever name you choose. Here is Ed, not defending conservatism, not defending the Constitution, but defending the establishment that is acting imperially and unconstitutionally.

Ms. Feinstein has already been in the administration’s crosshairs. Do an internet search for the late Kam Kuwata, who was her campaign manager and a supposed unwelcome witness to some strange behavior by Teh One during the Dem convention in Denver 4 years ago.

Right Mover on July 24, 2012 at 10:30 AM

Or, of course, Feinstein simply received the customary ripoff from another Leftwinger.

Yes, we need government to act in secrecy. The people must not know what our overlords are doing. It’s all for our protection.

Dante on July 24, 2012 at 10:40 AM

Why exactly does anyone need to know methods, personnel, or equipment used? Besides endangering the lives of our soldiers, how does knowing these things advance the cause of liberty? Knowing that OBL got the proverbial double tap in his Pakistani compound is enough information. The rest are details that can be used to endanger our troops.

What part of the fact that killing Bin Laden was a COVERT military operation, don’t you understand?

kingsjester on July 24, 2012 at 10:42 AM

“Hello, Adolph? Yeah this is Ike. Say listen, in about a month or so we’ll be landing on the Normandy coast and not in Calais, and you might want to strengthen St. Mere Eglise….hint hint. Oh, we also captured an Enigma machine and have been reading your mail for years now. So anyway, yeah, ok talk to you later.”

Yes, we need government to act in secrecy. The people must not know what our overlords are doing. It’s all for our protection.

Dante on July 24, 2012 at 10:40 AM

Since you’ve obviously never served in the military or in the intelligence community, you have no idea what it is like to put your life on the line for missions that require secrecy so that the enemy (you know, the guys who don’t like America) doesn’t know where you are or what you’re doing.

Since you’ve obviously never served in the military or in the intelligence community, you have no idea what it is like to put your life on the line for missions that require secrecy so that the enemy (you know, the guys who don’t like America) doesn’t know where you are or what you’re doing.

I’m about fed up with your idea of libertarianism.

Bitter Clinger on July 24, 2012 at 11:01 AM

I was agreeing with you. We need government to protect us. The less we know, the better. It’s all to keep us safe, and that’s what’s important.

Lol. I have heard that is actually the truth. That the Pentagon leaves the access codes simple for quick and easy use. The movie like “football” is all for show and the only thing they really need is the President’s approval to launch.

Since you’ve obviously never served in the military or in the intelligence community, you have no idea what it is like to put your life on the line for missions that require secrecy so that the enemy (you know, the guys who don’t like America) doesn’t know where you are or what you’re doing.

I’m about fed up with your idea of libertarianism.

Bitter Clinger on July 24, 2012 at 11:01 AM

The only thing Dante has ever served, is himself a second helping of chronic.

That’s always your refuge. Straw men. There is no straw man argument that he made. You’ve made it clear that there is no call for government to have any secrets, including national security/military matters. He simply called you out that such a stance costs the lives of the people who serve to protect us.

Strawman, my hindquarters. You get called out on your garbage and you yell strawman. You’ve done it a hundred million times. We’re all used to it by now.

kingsjester on July 24, 2012 at 11:09 AM

It was a straw man. You should learn what one is, not that it would stop you from making them. My position is advocating for the open government our Founders created, and I advocate that our citizens know what our government has done and the actions its taken. You have reframed this into a position that I don’t hold: that I don’t care about the lives of our “Brightest and Best”. That is a classic example of a straw man.

Further, the military is neither our brightest and best, even though some may be found in their ranks. The ranks of the entrepreneurs and innovators is where you will find our brightest and best.